Baked Garlic and Onion Cream Soup

 

It’s Fall – time for soup!!  On Sunday, I made two kinds of soup, along with some foccacia and a chocolate sheet cake.  Yep, I have a happy family!!  So, here’s a recipe to warm you up this Fall.

Baked Garlic and Onion Cream Soup

  (Source:  Appleton Post-Crescent Newspaper  By Darryl Kilsdonk)

Ingredients

• 6 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• 5 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (I used ground thyme with good results)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish

Directions

• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• Place the onions and garlic in a shallow roasting pan.  Add 3 cups of the chicken stock.  Sprinkle with the thyme, pepper, and salt.  Dot with butter.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir once or twice while it is baking.
• Remove the pan from the oven and use a blender or food processor to puree the onions and garlic with the liquid in batches, until smooth.
• With the motor on, gradually add the remaining 2 cups stock and the cream.  Pour the soup into a large saucepan.
• Adjust the seasonings and slowly heat through.  Do not allow the soup to boil.
• Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
• Serves 6-8

My modifications

• I don’t have a roasting pan, so I use 2 9x13 glass baking pans and divide the onions and garlic between them.
• I have found that baking the onions for longer than the 1 1/2 hours makes them softer, but also sweeter.  Experiment to see which consistency and flavor you prefer.
• My blender won’t hold all of this soup, so I puree (actually liquefy or grind!) the contents of one baking pan then empty it into the saucepan, then do the contents of the other baking pan and empty it into the saucepan.  I then add the remaining stock (broth) and cream to the saucepan and stir.  I make my soup really smooth, so there’s nothing lost by not having it all in the blender at once.
• I didn’t have enough cream on Sunday, so I used 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of Half and Half with good results.
• This stores well in the fridge for several days.
• I love it with fresh bread – particularly French bread or foccacia.
• This is also a great soup to keep your insides moving, if you know what I mean!!

Here are the other recipes I used Sunday night:

• Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe from Serious Eats
• Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe from Big Mama. 
• Focaccia recipe from Alton Brown’s I’m Just Here for More Food.

Happy Cooking!!

Check out what others are saying on Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic!!

Potatoes Gratin

Our family LOVES to watch The Next Food Network Star and we were thrilled when Melissa won last week!!!  For the last challenge, Melissa and Jeffrey each had to do a short pilot episode.  Melissa did a chicken dish with a potato gratin.  Last night for dinner, I was making roast, but I had a couple of potatoes, so Rosie Girl and I decided to do a modification of Melissa’s potato gratin.

We sliced 2 large potatoes and grated about a cup of mild cheddar cheese.  We then layered the potatoes and cheese into the cups of a muffin tin which had already been sprayed with baking spray.  We topped each cup with a pat of butter and added a little milk.  It went in the oven for about 30 minutes.  (Melissa’s original recipe called for Swiss cheese instead of cheddar, and cream instead of milk and butter, but I loved the idea of using the muffin tin.)

The potatoes were delicious and perfectly cooked.  The only problem was that the muffin tin could have been sprayed a little more completely so it was an annoyance to wash.  This is definitely a “keeper” of a recipe – quick and easy to make and well-liked by the family.

Check out Blissfully Domestic and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more great domestic ideas!!

 

Homemade Pizza – TMTT June 29, 2009

So, everybody has some version of homemade pizza.  What’s so special about mine?  Well, it’s mine!  Is that narcissistic or what?!  Anyway, we had homemade pizza the other night and it turned out really well, so I decided to share what we did.  You might like to try some of our ideas.

Ingredients:

• Pizza crust recipe – I adjust this to use bread machine yeast
• Olive oil
• Contadina pizza sauce
• “Fake Alfredo sauce” – it’s “Healthier Cream Sauce” with parmesan cheese added
• Assorted shredded cheeses
• Pepperoni (we usually also have spiced ground beef)
• Diced, sauted chicken
• Diced, sauted garlic (pieces as large or small as you like)
• Olives
• Pickles (for my daughter)
• Spinach (for me)
• Anything else you like

Technique

• One of the nice things about my kids now being 11 and 14 is that they are old enough for things like doing their own pizza crust.  Everyone took their ball of pizza dough and formed it into an eight inch diameter crust.
• My son and I put our pizzas on insulated pans because we don’t like crispy crusts but my daughter and hubby used regular pans.  In a perfect world, we’d have a pizza stone, or at least an unglazed patio stone (per Alton Brown), but we haven’t gotten around to getting one yet.
• Brush the crust with olive oil.
• Spread on sauce – I like white, everyone else likes red.
• Add veggies and meat.
• Add cheeses.
• Put on pan or pizza stone or patio stone and bake for about 10 minutes at 475-500 degrees or until cheeses are melted and crust is browned.
• Eat and enjoy!!!

This is my pizza with white sauce, spinach, chicken, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.

 

 

Wild Man’s pepperoni pizza.

 Rosie Girl’s pizza with olives, pepperoni, pickles, and lots of cheese.

 Mr. Math Tutor’s pizza with a little bit of everything covered with a lot of cheese!!

 

So, check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic for more great recipe and domestic ideas.  And, definitely leave any new pizza ideas here in the comments.  It makes me feel loved!!

More Gardening – May 5, 2009

First of all, if you are interested in family issues, if you are part of a family, if you have children, if you might ever have children, if you ever were a child (you get the picture), check out this post about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  OK, now that you’re done with your political reading for the day, we’ll move on to being blissfully domestic.  I decided to post on gardening this week instead of cooking because I don’t have any time to cook this week because we’re gardening – and recovering.  The first two posts on our garden plan are here  and here.

Yesterday morning, Mr. Math Tutor and I went on a very romantic date to Fleet Farm.  We came back with everything we needed to build our boxes as well as some compost and our peat moss.  Rosie Girl and I then went to the gardening center for more compost and some plants and seeds.  This ended up being a very productive visit because the garden center folks are very helpful and can tell me what is good to grow in this area and when.  They also saved me some money by recommending that I grow several things from seed.  I thought I would buy transplants, but they said that they usually don’t have them as transplants because they’re easy to plant the seeds right into the garden.  So, I’ve made some modifications to our gardening plan.  The only plants we purchased were strawberries and raspberries.  Later in the afternoon, I went by Lowe’s when we were in Stevens Point to get vermiculite.  They sell vermiculite in rather small bags, so I ended up getting vermiculite and Perlite.  I sure hope it works.

Mr. Math Tutor was in charge of making boxes.  He and Wild Man cut the wood and then screwed the pieces together.  For those of you keeping track, this is our vacation week, so I would like to reassure you that no learning occurred during any of these activities.  The children are really and truly on vacation and letting their brains rot appropriately!

There we are!  Today, we won’t get much done because I’m not feeling great and we have a busy afternoon with Rosie Girl’s track meet.  Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and the kids and I are going to EAA for a field trip (OK, maybe they’ll learn something there – I scheduled it before I realized when our vacation was scheduled).  But, the weather is supposed to be nice on Thursday so we can level out the ground a bit for the boxes, then put out the weed cloth, make the Mel’s Mix, fill the boxes, sow the seeds, plant the strawberries and raspberries, and then collapse in our beds.

One thing we did realize yesterday was that we have to bring the strawberries and raspberries into the garage every night until they’re planted and make sure we have the wire cages to cover them as soon as they’re planted because we have rabbits in our yard.  I hope we can get them in the ground soon.  Probably should have waited a couple of days on that purchase.

We’re having a blast on this foray into gardening.  Mr. Math Tutor is also very committed to it, so that he can pitch in and do whatever is next even if I end up with a migraine.  Check out I Am Blissfully Domestic for more great domestic posts!

Blast From The Past – WFMW April 22, 2009

Today’s entry for Works For Me Wednesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic is an oldy but goody: Comet Cleanser.  I’m not sure how old you have to be to remember this stuff.  I used it in high school when I cleaned the bathroom.  It’s a bluish-green powder that cleans like there’s no tomorrow.  The only other cleaners that we ever needed were window cleaner for the mirror and some X-14 for the mildew.

So, why am I mentioning it now?  Being the sophisticated, 21st century mom that I am, I have been using the spray cleaners that cost an arm and a leg.  I have been trying to faithfully shine my porcelain sink (a la FlyLady), but it just doesn’t get all that shiny.  A couple of weeks ago, I saw the Comet Cleanser for just 75 cents at the local grocery store.  75 CENTS!!!!  Not the four dollars for the fancy spray stuff.  I brought the Comet home and proceeded to use it to clean my sink and the bathroom.  Lo and behold, it worked better than anything I’ve used in the last 20 years (and, no, it didn’t scratch).  It doesn’t have any perfumes, so Mr. Math Tutor didn’t have a problem with the smell.  Then, this week, I found the Comet Cleanser on sale for just 2/$1.00.

I get to save money, relive my childhood, and have a shiny sink, all at once!!!!  Does it get any better than this!

Check out Works for Me Wednesday and Blissfully Domestic for more great ideas!!

Gluten-Free Breakfast

Since I’m on this two month gluten-free diet trial for my headaches, I’ve had to learn some new ways of eating.  I thought today that I’d share my most common breakfast food in the last few weeks.  It’s quick, easy, and has lots of variations (and, of course, is gluten-free).

Easy Gluten-Free Breakfast

Instant grits – I used to eat these growing up with just some butter and salt.  They’re pretty yummy, but don’t really stick with you through the morning since they’re just carbs.

Grits made with broth – For some more interesting flavor, I make the instant grits with canned chicken or beef broth instead of water along with a little butter.  Again, they taste good, but don’t make a complete meal.

Grits and eggs – When I was a kid, my mom would make grits and scrambled eggs then mix them together before serving.  I like to make a packet of instant grits (usually with broth – I’ve become spoiled) then mix in one scrambled egg.  They’re tasty and add some protein to get your morning going.

Cheesy grits – My mom puts cheddar cheese in grits, but I’ve never been a big fan of that.  Instead, I make my grits with chicken broth and grate in some fresh parmesan and then put it back in the microwave for about 30 more seconds.

Cheesy/Veggie grits – For this variation, I add leftover broccoli (although I’m sure you can use any other veggie you can find) to cheesy grits or grits and eggs.

Everything in the fridge grits – I make the grits with broth, then add cut up meat (it’s ham this week), cheese (again, I prefer Parmesan) and whatever veggie is leftover.  You can get really creative with this.  Anything goes as long as it doesn’t have gluten!

Additional Note:  I like to make my grits in the microwave, and usually cook them a little longer than the package says.  When I use broth, I’m often using leftover broth from the fridge, so I have to cook the grits even longer.  I add the cheese/eggs/meat/whatever after the grits are cooked, and then warm again for thirty seconds or so in the microwave.

Enjoy your breakfast!  For other great ideas, check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic.

 

Peanut Soup – March 31, 2009

I finally made the peanut soup and it was delicious!!  Here is the link to the recipe.  Some things you should know about it: The lime juice doesn’t come out as “lime” flavoring, but yet it makes a huge difference in the overall taste of the dish (Ga’hoole Girl says that it adds “layers” of flavor).  It says to add two teaspoons of hot sauce, but I used Tabasco sauce, so I just added a little at a time until I got the right flavor.    I also used half and half instead of cream and it was still plenty rich!

I’m really glad that I got brave enough to try something different because it was worth it.  I loved it, Mr. Math Tutor liked it, Ga’hoole Girl didn’t really like it, and Wild Man thought it was too weird to try.  Thankfully, I also made some potato-cheese soup that night, so no one went hungry.  The peanut soup also took very little time to make – less than an hour.  So, give it a try – it’s surprisingly delicious!!

Spinach Pie

One of my favorite meatless dishes is spinach pie.  I first had it about 15 years ago at a friend’s house.  I was not at all convinced I was going to like it since I don’t like spinach as a rule.  But, I ate it to be polite and was pleasantly surprised.  I have made a few modifications to the recipe since the original was a little bland for my taste.  My daughter and her friend just love it.  I made it one Thanksgiving since I had a friend who is a vegetarian coming over to join us for the meal.  I had to make sure that the girls (who were 8 or 9 at the time) didn’t eat all the spinach pie before my friend got to serve herself!  My son isn’t so thrilled, so I think I might make homemade pizza rolls with him on the day I make spinach pie this week.  That should keep him happy.

Spinach pie

1 frozen deep dish pie crust

1 tsp butter

1 pound spinach stemmed and finely chopped (frozen is OK)

1 pound ricotta cheese

3 Tbsp flour

1 dash nutmeg

1 cup minced onion

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp basil

2-3 beaten eggs

1/2 cup grated sharp cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in skillet and saute onion for five minutes.

Add spinach, salt, pepper and basil.  Cook until spinach is wilted and remove from heat.

Combine all filling ingredients and mix well.

Spread into unbaked pie shell.

Bake 40-45 minutes until firm to touch at center.

 

Hope you enjoy!!  This is really nice served with some soup or with some fresh bread or rolls.  Check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic for more great ideas.

P.S. Yes, I know I should post something Irish today, particularly since I am Irish, but the fact is that I don’t actually like many traditional Irish foods like corned beef or cabbage, and I haven’t gotten around to making Irish stew.  So, spinach pie it is!

Teaching a Wiggly Ten Year Old Dyslexic Boy

My son has always been a mover and a shaker.  I first felt him move in utero at 16 weeks – a full 4 weeks earlier than I had felt his sister, and about 2 weeks earlier than expected.  And, I don’t think he’s stopped since then.  He’s also dyslexic which means that his brain doesn’t process language normally.  He has trouble with reading and spelling, in particular.

I’m always looking for strategies to help my wiggly boy with his more “schooly” activities.  For the most part, I try to adapt to his best learning style, which is auditory.  I also try to let him move around when possible and talk to himself out loud when he needs to (often requiring that he be in a room separate from his sister who works best in silence or music).  Spelling is one of the hardest subjects for him.  Not only does he have trouble with the subject itself, but it’s a lesson that has to go at my (the teacher’s) pace, not his.  We use All About Spelling, so he does get to use the magnet board and tiles, but it’s still a challenge.

I read a short article about schools using stability balls instead of chairs for students in classrooms.  The claim was that the students were able let out some of their pent up energy through the ball while they still were able to concentrate on lessons.  In addition, the article claimed that the students showed improvement in posture.

So, I tried it.  I have a stability ball that I use for exercise, so I had Wild Man try it for spelling and Explode the Code.  He absolutely loved it today, but I can’t say yet exactly why it is helping.  He did spend some time today singing while rolling around on the ball, but he also sings while goofing off in the chair.  So, maybe it’s just novelty, but I am optimistic that the stability ball will allow him to keep part of his body moving while working his brain.

I already owned the ball, so there was no cost to trying this out.  I’ll give an update in a week or so and report how he’s doing with regular use of the ball instead of a regular chair.

Check out I Am Blissfully Domestic for more great ideas!!  Also, don’t forget to read my book review and leave a comment to get signed up for a book giveaway.

P.S. Yeah, I know I usually post something to do with food on Tuesdays, but I have a headache and we’ve been seriously overwhelmed with Science Fair projects and not doing much exciting with food, so I don’t have any new recipes to share right now.  And I don’t know if that duck is going to get cooked this week.

Knitting Update – I Am Blissfully Domestic

I haven’t updated my knitting in quite awhile, but it is not because I have been lacking in knitting.  In fact, I have been knitting like a wild woman since October.  At first, I was trying to get Christmas gifts done; then, I started working on a sweater for Mr. Math Tutor; finally, I decided to make myself a purse while we were on vacation.  Here are the results with my stimulating commentary.

These socks were made with a sock wool for my mother in law using the Froot Loop pattern from Knitty.  She loves them!

 

 

 

I had a blast making these socks for my sister-in-law.  The yarn is Rowan 4ply    and the pattern is Hedera at Knitty.  She loves wearing them and they were a joy to make.

 

  I made this ball for my nephew.  I’m happy to say that he loves it.  When we saw him last week, he played with it quite often (and he’s not old enough to do it just to make me happy!).  The yarn is KnitPicks Shine Worsted and the pattern is Doddy from Knitty (again).

I also made the brothers’ and sisters’ families felted mancala boards.  Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of them since I was sewing them together at 11pm the night before they were to be mailed!!  Here’s the link, though.  I also did a pair of socks for my mom but forgot to take pictures.  Here’s the link for that pair.  I do have to say that they were something of a challenge.  I think I started them four or five times before I was happy with the mitered square look.

My most recent project was a purse that I made on our trip South.  I had been working on my husband’s sweater, but all that wool on my lap made me really hot.  So, I pulled out some inexpensive cotton yarn and made myself this cute purse.  Of course, since the yarn is variegated, you can’t see the cables very well.  I added in the inside pouches myself to hold credit cards and my cell phone.  My daughter says the purse is “garish”.  I love, it, though.  It’s not as organized as my 10 year old Wilson leather purse, but it is large enough to hold my pricebook notebook (with which I will finally save money on groceries – yeah, right).  I really like it – despite my daughter’s excessively conservative assessment.

You can’t really see it in the picture, but there are two pouches on the inside of the purse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, that’s what I’ve been up to in the Blissfully Domestic department.  If you haven’t ever tried some kind of needlework, I highly recommend it.  I have terrible headaches, including migraines, and I find knitting quite relaxing – and useful.  So, check out I Am Blissfully Domestic for more domestic ideas.

 

P.S. I’m so sorry, Kim, but I don’t have any ideas for storing or taking care of clothes.  I’ll refrain from giving details of the actual state of clothing in our home!!